Ignacio Zuloaga

Born July 26, 1870, in Eibar, near Bilbao; died Oct. 31, 1945, in Madrid. Spanish painter.

Zuloaga studied in Paris and Rome during the 1890’s. He worked both in Spain and in Paris. Zuloaga followed the traditions of the old Spanish masters and, at the same time, resorted to the grotesque. He emphasized the national character of various ethnic types and the uniqueness of the Spanish landscape. His style, which on the whole is close to art nouveau, is characterized by bold line, a decorative palette, and effective theatricality. Paintings from Zuloaga’s late period show elements of stylization and salon art. Examples of the artist’s works are Naughty Word (1902, private collection, Buenos Aires), The Dwarf Gregory —the Wineskin-maker (1908, Hermitage, Leningrad), and Portrait of I. I. Shchukin (Hermitage).